Haji Malang murder: Two held for smashing friend’s head with stone as revenge for a slap

The two youngsters, both in their 20s and residents of Panvel, killed their friend on February 23

Two men in their early 20s, both residents of Panvel, were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly killing their 23-year-old friend by smashing his head with a stone at Haji Malang, Kalyan, on February 23.

The Sufi saint Haji Malang’s dargah is located halfway up a hill near Kalyan, around 47km from Mumbai.

The deceased, Pravin Farat, a resident of Mahalungi village, went out with some of his friends on the night of February 23, but did not return home. The next day, in the afternoon, his body was in a gorge at Haji Malang, the Panvel taluka police said.

“Farat’s family members pointed us to some of his friends whom they suspected, and we had been looking for them. We arrested them finally on Tuesday,” said Maloji Shinde, senior police inspector of Panvel taluka police station.

The two arrested have been identified as Vilas Dhongade, 24, and Akash Shelke, 21. “They do various odd jobs. We are checking if they have criminal records,” said a police officer from Panvel Taluka police station, who did not wish to be named.

Explaining the motive behind the murder Shinde said: “Farat and the accused were good friends, but a few days before the murder, they had a small fight, and Farat reportedly slapped Dhongade. That offended Dhongade and he decided to take revenge by killing Farat.”

On February 23, the accused called Farat to Haji Malang for a party. All three of them sat and had alcohol at the spot, and once Farat was drunk, the duo smashing his head with stones and killed him, Shinde said. “Later, they dumped his body into a gorge.”

Police officials recovered Farat’s bike at a spot little before the gorge where his body was found. “We are now investigating to find out if more people were involved in the crime,” Shinde said.

The police booked the duo under sections 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and produced them before court on Tuesday. They have been remanded in police custody.